Freeman 387. - THE FIFTH AND RAREST of ALL EARLY EDITIONS OF "THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. This edition sees the first use by Darwin of Herbert Spencer's phrase 'survival of the fittest', appearing in the heading of Chapter IV. Its publication aroused world-wide criticism and controversy, both religious and scientific" (Grolier/Horblit). The first edition of 1250 copies was sold on the day of publication. Though the work was initially prompted by observations, made during his travels aboard the Beagle from 1831 to 1836, of the biology and geology of isolated islands, Darwin spent nearly 25 years after his return to England accumulating evidence and considering his theory before publishing. "Although the theory of evolution can be traced to the ancient Greek belief in the 'great chain of being,' Darwin's greatest achievement was to make this centuries-old 'underground' concept acceptable to the scientific community by cogently arguing for the existence of a viable mechanism -- natural selection -- by which new species evolve over vast periods of time. Darwin's influence on biology was fundamental and continues to be felt today" (Garrison-Morton).